(Radio Iowa) - Iowa mirrors a national trend with a slight drop in deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide, according to a report from a non-partisan public health policy group. 

Nadine Gracia, president and C-E-O of Trust for America’s Health, says figures for 2022 show the first drop in those deaths in five years, though there's still much work to be done. She says the long-term trend is still alarmingly high. The report says 16-hundred Iowans died from alcohol, drugs and suicide that year, down one-percent overall from the previous year. 

While Iowa deaths due to alcohol and drugs fell, the study says suicides rose by six-percent. Gracia says rural residents appear to be especially at risk and she points to a lack of access to treatment options. The report finds 59-percent of Iowans live in an area that has a mental health care shortage.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa mirrors a national trend with a slight drop in deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide, according to a report from a non-partisan public health policy group. Nadine Gracia, president and C-E-O of Trust for America’s Health, says figures for 2022 show the first drop in those deaths in five years, though there's still much work to be done. She says the long-term trend is still alarmingly high. The report says 16-hundred Iowans died from alcohol, drugs and suicide that year, down one-percent overall from the previous year. While Iowa deaths due to alcohol and drugs fell, the study says suicides rose by six-percent. Gracia says rural residents appear to be especially at risk and she points to a lack of access to treatment options. The report finds 59-percent of Iowans live in an area that has a mental health care shortage.

Report: Iowa sees drop in deaths from alcohol and drugs, but a rise in suicides

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jaredstrong/">JARED STRONG</a>&nbsp;

Federal health officials are encouraging farm workers who tend livestock and poultry to get vaccinated for seasonal influenza to help prevent a bird flu mutation that might spark a pandemic in people.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday it would devote up to $5 million to pay for the vaccinations, and that it will rely on states to implement the initiative.

There are 14 known human infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza that resulted from contact with infected dairy cattle and poultry in the United States, and all but one has happened in the past four months.

The virus has been circulated by wild birds for more than two years and has sporadically transmitted to domestic birds. A variation of the virus has been infecting U.S. dairy cattle since December, and four people who worked closely with infected cattle also became ill.

In recent weeks, nine people in Colorado who were tasked with culling infected poultry contracted the virus.

The CDC has maintained that the virus’ risk to humans is low — those who have been infected so far had minor symptoms of respiratory illness or pinkeye, or both.

It has not been shown to transmit between people, but the virus has the potential to rapidly gain that ability if it infects someone who also has a seasonal flu virus.

“Such dual infections, while rare, could potentially result in an exchange of genetic material between two different influenza viruses,” Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director for the CDC, said in a call with reporters Tuesday.

Shah said that “reassortment” process could pose a “significant public health concern” if bird flu gains the ability to spread person-to-person the way seasonal flu does, potentially resulting in a virus that spreads easily and causes severe symptoms.

Shah said the CDC will devote up to $10 million for farm workers’ health related to avian flu. Half will be spent educating and training farm workers about how to avoid being infected.

The other half will pay for seasonal flu vaccines for an estimated 200,000 farm workers who tend livestock and poultry. The CDC hopes to vaccinate all of them but acknowledges that less than half of the general population typically gets a flu shot.

How the voluntary vaccination effort will proceed is unclear. State health officials are expected to implement them, most immediately in the 13 states that have confirmed infections among cows.

That includes Iowa, where 13 dairy herds have been infected. However, no new infections have been reported in the state in the past month.

A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services — which presumably would coordinate with the CDC — did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article.

The vaccine will not protect the workers from contracting bird flu, Shah said, nor will it guarantee they won’t be infected by seasonal flu. But he said it’s an important component of the public health response to the new virus’ threat.

“The risk here is a theoretical but important risk,” Shah said.

The confirmations of new bird flu infections among cattle have waned significantly in most states, except for in Colorado. In the past 30 days, two-thirds of the nation’s 32 newly infected herds were in that state, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Some of that might be due to Colorado’s&nbsp;<a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/colorado-requiring-dairy-products-to-be-regularly-tested-for-bird-flu-amid-outbreak/" target="_blank">robust testing protocols</a>, but it’s also “a quirk of history and geography,” said Eric Deeble, deputy under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs for the USDA.

The state has far fewer dairy farms than the leading milk-producing states, but most of them are concentrated in one county.

“They are all in very close proximity to one another, and so there is a lot of sharing of equipment, a lot of sharing of personnel and a lot of movement on and off farms to adjacent farms,” Deeble said.

The USDA has identified the movement of equipment and people between dairy farms as a primary vector for virus transmissions from herd to herd and from herd to flock.

The virus has been identified in 172 dairy herds in the United States this year. Fifty of them are in Colorado. In Texas, where the infections originated, the virus was confirmed in 22 herds, although there were many that went untested because they recovered before bird flu&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/04/17/two-veterinarians-hundreds-of-miles-apart-solved-a-cow-sickness-whodunit/" target="_blank">was identified</a>&nbsp;as the culprit.

This story was originally published by the&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/07/30/worried-about-bird-flu-mutation-feds-seek-livestock-worker-vaccinations/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722448527185.png" alt="Cow Photo courtesy of Iowa State Dairy Association)." />
 <figcaption>Cow Photo courtesy of Iowa State Dairy Association).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jaredstrong/">JARED STRONG</a>&nbsp;Federal health officials are encouraging farm workers who tend livestock and poultry to get vaccinated for seasonal influenza to help prevent a bird flu mutation that might spark a pandemic in people.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday it would devote up to $5 million to pay for the vaccinations, and that it will rely on states to implement the initiative.There are 14 known human infections of highly pathogenic avian influenza that resulted from contact with infected dairy cattle and poultry in the United States, and all but one has happened in the past four months.The virus has been circulated by wild birds for more than two years and has sporadically transmitted to domestic birds. A variation of the virus has been infecting U.S. dairy cattle since December, and four people who worked closely with infected cattle also became ill.In recent weeks, nine people in Colorado who were tasked with culling infected poultry contracted the virus.The CDC has maintained that the virus’ risk to humans is low — those who have been infected so far had minor symptoms of respiratory illness or pinkeye, or both.It has not been shown to transmit between people, but the virus has the potential to rapidly gain that ability if it infects someone who also has a seasonal flu virus.“Such dual infections, while rare, could potentially result in an exchange of genetic material between two different influenza viruses,” Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director for the CDC, said in a call with reporters Tuesday.Shah said that “reassortment” process could pose a “significant public health concern” if bird flu gains the ability to spread person-to-person the way seasonal flu does, potentially resulting in a virus that spreads easily and causes severe symptoms.<h2>A new vaccination campaign</h2>Shah said the CDC will devote up to $10 million for farm workers’ health related to avian flu. Half will be spent educating and training farm workers about how to avoid being infected.The other half will pay for seasonal flu vaccines for an estimated 200,000 farm workers who tend livestock and poultry. The CDC hopes to vaccinate all of them but acknowledges that less than half of the general population typically gets a flu shot.How the voluntary vaccination effort will proceed is unclear. State health officials are expected to implement them, most immediately in the 13 states that have confirmed infections among cows.That includes Iowa, where 13 dairy herds have been infected. However, no new infections have been reported in the state in the past month.A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services — which presumably would coordinate with the CDC — did not immediately respond to a request to comment for this article.The vaccine will not protect the workers from contracting bird flu, Shah said, nor will it guarantee they won’t be infected by seasonal flu. But he said it’s an important component of the public health response to the new virus’ threat.“The risk here is a theoretical but important risk,” Shah said.<h2>Colorado has most recent infections</h2>The confirmations of new bird flu infections among cattle have waned significantly in most states, except for in Colorado. In the past 30 days, two-thirds of the nation’s 32 newly infected herds were in that state, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.Some of that might be due to Colorado’s&nbsp;<a href="https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/colorado-requiring-dairy-products-to-be-regularly-tested-for-bird-flu-amid-outbreak/" target="_blank">robust testing protocols</a>, but it’s also “a quirk of history and geography,” said Eric Deeble, deputy under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs for the USDA.The state has far fewer dairy farms than the leading milk-producing states, but most of them are concentrated in one county.“They are all in very close proximity to one another, and so there is a lot of sharing of equipment, a lot of sharing of personnel and a lot of movement on and off farms to adjacent farms,” Deeble said.The USDA has identified the movement of equipment and people between dairy farms as a primary vector for virus transmissions from herd to herd and from herd to flock.The virus has been identified in 172 dairy herds in the United States this year. Fifty of them are in Colorado. In Texas, where the infections originated, the virus was confirmed in 22 herds, although there were many that went untested because they recovered before bird flu&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/04/17/two-veterinarians-hundreds-of-miles-apart-solved-a-cow-sickness-whodunit/" target="_blank">was identified</a>&nbsp;as the culprit.This story was originally published by the&nbsp;<a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2024/07/30/worried-about-bird-flu-mutation-feds-seek-livestock-worker-vaccinations/" target="_blank">Iowa Capital Dispatch</a>, a States Newsroom affiliate.&nbsp;

Worried about bird flu mutation, feds seek livestock worker vaccinations

It was a hot and steamy day at Missouri Western State University as the Chiefs returned to practice after a day off on Tuesday.  

Temperatures were up near the 100's and there were a handful of players that left practice with injuries, luckily none heat related.  

Head Coach Andy Reid says the work to keep players on the field in the heat starts before practice making sure guys are staying hydrated 

"We don't have very many of the hydration issues, which is a positive, our trainers do a nice job of that," Reid tells reporter's post-practice. "And then during practice we water break them, so we'll go a certain number of plays, then you'll see the people run the water in and give them a quick shot, and then hop back out." 

During training camp fans and coaches have had their eyes on one receiver looking to make an impact in his second year in the league.  

After spending last season on the injury list, Nikko Remigio has been making big plays in the offense and on special teams 

Remigio says the mentality he takes to get through camp is to just be resilient 

"And that's really been kind of the moral of my entire journey is just staying resilient and continuing to punch," Remigio explains. "I've always been an underdog at every single level of football that I've played at, so being in this position is nothing new to me, so just making sure that I'm still fighting and being the best version of myself every single day." 

Head Coach Andy Reid says he's been impressed with the development of Remigio 

"He's getting better every rep he gets, so that's a positive thing for us," Reid says. 

Remigio also worked during the offseason with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.  Special Teams Coach Dave Toub has been especially impressed with him on punt and kick return.  

The Chiefs return to practice tomorrow at 9:15.

The Chiefs lost a handful of players during Wednesday's practice but did see the return of one player from the physically unable to perform list.  

Justin Reid, Justin Watson, and Nazeeh Johnson were all still absent from practicing, though they were all present on the practice fields, as they continue to recover from injuries.  

Head Coach Andy Reid reports that tight end Izaiah Gathings left practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury.  Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, offensive lineman Chukwuebuka Godrick, and offensive lineman McKade Mettauer all left with ankle injuries.  

Middle linebacker Nick Bolton went down during 11-on-11 drills, Reid reports Bolton left practice with an elbow injury.  

In positive news, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson was back in a helmet and pads on Wednesday after passing a physical and being removed from the PUP list. 

You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722450445178.jpeg" alt="Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and receivers Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice during practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and receivers Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice during practice/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE St. Joseph Post It was a hot and steamy day at Missouri Western State University as the Chiefs returned to practice after a day off on Tuesday. Temperatures were up near the 100's and there were a handful of players that left practice with injuries, luckily none heat related. Head Coach Andy Reid says the work to keep players on the field in the heat starts before practice making sure guys are staying hydrated "We don't have very many of the hydration issues, which is a positive, our trainers do a nice job of that," Reid tells reporter's post-practice. "And then during practice we water break them, so we'll go a certain number of plays, then you'll see the people run the water in and give them a quick shot, and then hop back out." During training camp fans and coaches have had their eyes on one receiver looking to make an impact in his second year in the league. After spending last season on the injury list, Nikko Remigio has been making big plays in the offense and on special teams Remigio says the mentality he takes to get through camp is to just be resilient "And that's really been kind of the moral of my entire journey is just staying resilient and continuing to punch," Remigio explains. "I've always been an underdog at every single level of football that I've played at, so being in this position is nothing new to me, so just making sure that I'm still fighting and being the best version of myself every single day." Head Coach Andy Reid says he's been impressed with the development of Remigio "He's getting better every rep he gets, so that's a positive thing for us," Reid says. Remigio also worked during the offseason with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Special Teams Coach Dave Toub has been especially impressed with him on punt and kick return. The Chiefs return to practice tomorrow at 9:15.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722450485536.jpeg" alt="Several fans have packed into Missouri Western to take in Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks" />
 <figcaption>Several fans have packed into Missouri Western to take in Chiefs Training Camp/ Photo by Alexis Starks</figcaption>
 </figure>Injury Report The Chiefs lost a handful of players during Wednesday's practice but did see the return of one player from the physically unable to perform list. Justin Reid, Justin Watson, and Nazeeh Johnson were all still absent from practicing, though they were all present on the practice fields, as they continue to recover from injuries. Head Coach Andy Reid reports that tight end Izaiah Gathings left practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury. Wide receiver Kadarius Toney, offensive lineman Chukwuebuka Godrick, and offensive lineman McKade Mettauer all left with ankle injuries. Middle linebacker Nick Bolton went down during 11-on-11 drills, Reid reports Bolton left practice with an elbow injury. In positive news, Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson was back in a helmet and pads on Wednesday after passing a physical and being removed from the PUP list. You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Chiefs push through heat as they return to practice Wednesday

WASHINGTON —NRRM, LLC, which does business as CarShield,&nbsp;along with American Auto Shield, LLC (AAS), the administrator of its&nbsp;vehicle service contracts (VSCs),&nbsp;will pay $10 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its advertisements and telemarketing for VSC are deceptive and misleading, and that many purchasers found that many repairs were not “covered,” despite making payments of up to $120 per month. The FTC also alleges CarShield’s celebrity and consumer endorsers made false statements in its ads, according to a media release from the FTC.

The stipulated order settling the Commission’s complaint also bars&nbsp;CarShield and AAS from making deceptive and misleading statements in the future and requires them to ensure their endorsers’ testimonials are truthful, accurate, and not deceptive.

“For many consumers, a personal vehicle is one of their most valuable assets and a vital lifeline for getting to work, taking their kids to school, and obtaining medical care. Instead of delivering the ‘peace of mind’ promised by its advertisements, CarShield left many consumers with a financial headache,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Worse still, CarShield used trusted personalities to deliver its empty promises. The FTC will hold advertisers accountable for using false or deceptive claims to exploit consumers’ financial anxieties.”

NRRM is a Missouri-based company that advertises VSCs to consumers throughout the United Sates. AAS, based in Lakewood, Colorado, designs and administers the VSCs.

<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/NRRM-dba-Carshield-Complaint.pdf">According to the FTC’s complaint</a>, CarShield advertises and sells VSCs costing approximately $80 to $120 a month. CarShield’s ads for VSCs often feature celebrities such as sports commentator Chris Berman and actor Ice-T. These endorsers try to assure consumers that buying a CarShield service plan will provide them with “peace of mind” and “protection” from the cost and inconvenience of vehicle breakdowns, which will inevitably occur.

The complaint alleges many ads claim that all repairs or repairs to “covered” systems, such as the engine and transmission, will be covered and use language that makes consumers believe CarShield will pay for all necessary repairs. For example, one ad that ran 18,000 times on television stated, “With CarShield’s administrators, they make sure you don’t get stuck with expensive car repair bills like this.” It also touts CarShield VSCs as “your best line of defense against expensive breakdowns.”

The company sells its plans using telemarketers who answer inbound calls and make outbound calls responding to consumers, including those who made web inquiries. Using scripted statements written by CarShield and cleared by AAS, the telemarketers pitch the VSCs and tell consumers that, whether they use a dealer or local mechanic for the repair work, “there is just a $100 deductible for any covered repair.”&nbsp;

However, consumers do not always get what they think they bought when signing up for the VSCs. Instead, the complaint alleges that CarShield’s ads deceptively represent that: 1) all repairs or repairs to “covered” vehicle systems will be paid for under the plans; 2) consumers will receive a rental car at no cost when their car breaks down; and 3)&nbsp;consumers can use the repair facility of their choice for repairs.

Specifically, many consumers could not use the repair facility of their choice, as many do not accept the VSCs. Many consumers also find that repairs they thought were covered are not. In fact, none of CarShield’s VSCs covers all repairs or even repairs to “covered” vehicle systems. Instead, the plans contain myriad exclusions.&nbsp;Consumers with denied claims receive no rental car, while many consumers with “approved” claims must pay a portion of their rental car costs.

In addition, while CarShield’s celebrity endorsers said they had signed up and used the company’s VSCs, in many cases this was not true.&nbsp;They were not “real” customers and had never saved money&nbsp;by using an AAS VSC. Finally, many CarShield ads deceptively feature consumer endorsers who claim to have saved a specific amount of money using their plans but have not in fact saved that amount.

<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/NRRM-dba-Carshield-MotiontoApprovedStipulatedOrder.pdf">The proposed order</a>&nbsp;settling the complaint addresses the defendants’ alleged violations of the FTC Act. First, it prohibits CarShield from making the misrepresentations described in the complaint, along with any other misrepresentations related to any good or service. It also prohibits&nbsp;CarShield and AAS&nbsp;from failing to make required disclosures and from violating the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule.

Next, the order bars CarShield from misrepresenting any endorser’s ownership, use of, or experience with any product or service and requires AAS to inform third-party marketers of the order and to review and monitor their advertising and marketing. The order also imposes standard reporting and compliance provision that will remain in place for up to 10 years.

Finally, the order imposes a $10 million monetary judgment against&nbsp;CarShield and AAS,&nbsp;which will be used to provide refunds to defrauded consumers. The full amount of the judgment must be paid to the FTC within seven days of when the court enters the order.

The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint and proposed order was 5-0. FTC staff filed the complaint and proposed order in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.&nbsp;The case was brought by the agency’s East Central Region. The FTC thanks the Missouri Attorney General’s Office for its help in bringing this case.

WASHINGTON —NRRM, LLC, which does business as CarShield,&nbsp;along with American Auto Shield, LLC (AAS), the administrator of its&nbsp;vehicle service contracts (VSCs),&nbsp;will pay $10 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that its advertisements and telemarketing for VSC are deceptive and misleading, and that many purchasers found that many repairs were not “covered,” despite making payments of up to $120 per month. The FTC also alleges CarShield’s celebrity and consumer endorsers made false statements in its ads, according to a media release from the FTC.The stipulated order settling the Commission’s complaint also bars&nbsp;CarShield and AAS from making deceptive and misleading statements in the future and requires them to ensure their endorsers’ testimonials are truthful, accurate, and not deceptive.“For many consumers, a personal vehicle is one of their most valuable assets and a vital lifeline for getting to work, taking their kids to school, and obtaining medical care. Instead of delivering the ‘peace of mind’ promised by its advertisements, CarShield left many consumers with a financial headache,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Worse still, CarShield used trusted personalities to deliver its empty promises. The FTC will hold advertisers accountable for using false or deceptive claims to exploit consumers’ financial anxieties.”NRRM is a Missouri-based company that advertises VSCs to consumers throughout the United Sates. AAS, based in Lakewood, Colorado, designs and administers the VSCs.<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/NRRM-dba-Carshield-Complaint.pdf">According to the FTC’s complaint</a>, CarShield advertises and sells VSCs costing approximately $80 to $120 a month. CarShield’s ads for VSCs often feature celebrities such as sports commentator Chris Berman and actor Ice-T. These endorsers try to assure consumers that buying a CarShield service plan will provide them with “peace of mind” and “protection” from the cost and inconvenience of vehicle breakdowns, which will inevitably occur.The complaint alleges many ads claim that all repairs or repairs to “covered” systems, such as the engine and transmission, will be covered and use language that makes consumers believe CarShield will pay for all necessary repairs. For example, one ad that ran 18,000 times on television stated, “With CarShield’s administrators, they make sure you don’t get stuck with expensive car repair bills like this.” It also touts CarShield VSCs as “your best line of defense against expensive breakdowns.”The company sells its plans using telemarketers who answer inbound calls and make outbound calls responding to consumers, including those who made web inquiries. Using scripted statements written by CarShield and cleared by AAS, the telemarketers pitch the VSCs and tell consumers that, whether they use a dealer or local mechanic for the repair work, “there is just a $100 deductible for any covered repair.”&nbsp;However, consumers do not always get what they think they bought when signing up for the VSCs. Instead, the complaint alleges that CarShield’s ads deceptively represent that: 1) all repairs or repairs to “covered” vehicle systems will be paid for under the plans; 2) consumers will receive a rental car at no cost when their car breaks down; and 3)&nbsp;consumers can use the repair facility of their choice for repairs.Specifically, many consumers could not use the repair facility of their choice, as many do not accept the VSCs. Many consumers also find that repairs they thought were covered are not. In fact, none of CarShield’s VSCs covers all repairs or even repairs to “covered” vehicle systems. Instead, the plans contain myriad exclusions.&nbsp;Consumers with denied claims receive no rental car, while many consumers with “approved” claims must pay a portion of their rental car costs.In addition, while CarShield’s celebrity endorsers said they had signed up and used the company’s VSCs, in many cases this was not true.&nbsp;They were not “real” customers and had never saved money&nbsp;by using an AAS VSC. Finally, many CarShield ads deceptively feature consumer endorsers who claim to have saved a specific amount of money using their plans but have not in fact saved that amount.<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/NRRM-dba-Carshield-MotiontoApprovedStipulatedOrder.pdf">The proposed order</a>&nbsp;settling the complaint addresses the defendants’ alleged violations of the FTC Act. First, it prohibits CarShield from making the misrepresentations described in the complaint, along with any other misrepresentations related to any good or service. It also prohibits&nbsp;CarShield and AAS&nbsp;from failing to make required disclosures and from violating the FTC’s Telemarketing Sales Rule.Next, the order bars CarShield from misrepresenting any endorser’s ownership, use of, or experience with any product or service and requires AAS to inform third-party marketers of the order and to review and monitor their advertising and marketing. The order also imposes standard reporting and compliance provision that will remain in place for up to 10 years.Finally, the order imposes a $10 million monetary judgment against&nbsp;CarShield and AAS,&nbsp;which will be used to provide refunds to defrauded consumers. The full amount of the judgment must be paid to the FTC within seven days of when the court enters the order.The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint and proposed order was 5-0. FTC staff filed the complaint and proposed order in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.&nbsp;The case was brought by the agency’s East Central Region. The FTC thanks the Missouri Attorney General’s Office for its help in bringing this case.

CarShield to pay $10M to settle deceptive advertising charges

(Radio Iowa) - By next July, Iowa's 13 treatment systems for mental health and the 19 networks that provide treatment for substance abuse and gambling addiction are to be unified and streamlined. 

The map officials have developed divides the state into seven districts and each district would provide mental health and addiction services. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services director Kelly Garcia says those district lines will impact providers -- but the map doesn't matter to patients, who'll be able to go anywhere for care. 

Garcia says another key part of the new system will be clearly designated "access points" for care.

(Radio Iowa) - By next July, Iowa's 13 treatment systems for mental health and the 19 networks that provide treatment for substance abuse and gambling addiction are to be unified and streamlined. The map officials have developed divides the state into seven districts and each district would provide mental health and addiction services. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services director Kelly Garcia says those district lines will impact providers -- but the map doesn't matter to patients, who'll be able to go anywhere for care. Garcia says another key part of the new system will be clearly designated "access points" for care.

State promises clearly designated 'access points' for mental health, substance abuse treatment

&nbsp;WASHINGTON —The Secret Service's acting director told a United State's Senate committee Tuesday that he considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman in&nbsp;the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump&nbsp;was unsecured.&nbsp; Following the hearing, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall led colleagues in demanding accountability on Trump assassination attempt.

Marshall is calling for an independent commission that identifies all of the problems and mistakes that took place on July 13th.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722374985803.png" alt="Kansas Senator Roger Marshall during Tuesday's hearing with Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr.-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Senator Roger Marshall during Tuesday's hearing with Acting Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe Jr.-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;WASHINGTON —The Secret Service's acting director told a United State's Senate committee Tuesday that he considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman in&nbsp;the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump&nbsp;was unsecured.&nbsp; Following the hearing, Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall led colleagues in demanding accountability on Trump assassination attempt.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am demanding an independent commission that identifies all of the problems and mistakes that took place on July 13th. Corey’s family deserves more, President Trump deserves more and the American people deserve more. <a href="https://t.co/hk1YLYpPcB">pic.twitter.com/hk1YLYpPcB</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1818379725024133403?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We are 17 days out from the assassination attempt on Trump. I don&#39;t want conversations and processes- I want answers and accountability. Hiding behind a vague, slow-moving investigation is not going to cut it. We need full reform at the Secret Service and FBI now. <a href="https://t.co/vBwmq4FnCh">pic.twitter.com/vBwmq4FnCh</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1818338263775547853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Marshall is calling for an independent commission that identifies all of the problems and mistakes that took place on July 13th.

🎥Kan. U.S. Senator calls for independent investigation of Trump assassination attempt

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

A political action committee that for two years has mostly existed to bankroll Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s trips to the Super Bowl has begun spending money to bolster his preferred candidates in next week’s GOP primaries.

Uniting Missouri, which was created to support Parson’s bid for a full term in 2020, donated $100,000 this week to the PAC backing Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe’s bid for governor and spent&nbsp;roughly $100,000 on TV ads in the Kansas City market attacking Will Scharf, who is seeking to oust Attorney General Andrew Bailey.

The PAC spent nearly $600,000 on “digital advertising” and&nbsp;$36,000 on radio ads in central and southwest Missouri, although public reports do not indicate who is being targeted in those advertisements.

Parson, who is barred from seeking another term as governor, appointed Kehoe and Bailey to their current jobs and endorsed them both for the Aug. 6 primary.&nbsp;

The spending spree for Parson appointees was made possible by a pair of large donations last week.&nbsp;

David Steward, co-founder of World Wide Technology and a former member of the Washington University Board of Trustees, donated $100,000 to Uniting Missouri on July 25.&nbsp;

The St. Louis law firm of trial attorney Eric Holland donated $300,000 on July 26. The firm gave Uniting Missouri $250,000 earlier this year.&nbsp;

Uniting Missouri also reported receiving $5,000 from MACO Development Co., a low-income housing developer; $10,000 from a group called 36 Political Fund, which is connected to the sheet metal workers union; and $25,000 from five different PACs that are all controlled by the lobbying firm of Steve Tilley, a longtime adviser to the governor.&nbsp;

Last month, Uniting Missouri accepted a $50,000 donation from the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association and $15,000 from Torch Electronics, a Wildwood-based company accused of operating illegal gambling machines across the state.&nbsp;

Uniting Missouri’s intervention in the GOP primary is only the latest example of the governor seeking to put his thumb on the scale for his favored candidates.&nbsp;

Parson last year used&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/17/stinks-quite-a-bit-mike-parson-accused-of-illegally-using-office-to-meddle-in-primaries/">official letterhead from the governor’s office</a>&nbsp;to unsuccessfully pressure a national Republican organization to support Bailey’s candidacy. And his department of labor&nbsp;spent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/missouri-psa-andrew-bailey/63-104fcd6b-02b0-4ddc-910e-4a1ce338935c" target="_blank">$100,000 for a television advertisement that featured Bailey</a>.

In both instances, Parson faced accusations that&nbsp;he violated&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=115.646&amp;bid=49862&amp;hl=" target="_blank">a state law prohibiting the misuse of public resources for campaign purposes</a>.&nbsp;

Parson endured similar criticism from Kehoe’s main Republican rivals —&nbsp;Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel — when earlier this year he included the lieutenant governor in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/foreign-land-missouri-agriculture-military-china-fcea4a00170ce64274d012a50934b0ab" target="_blank">press conference and executive order pertaining to foreign ownership of Missouri land</a>.&nbsp;

Parson took over as governor in June 2018 when his predecessor — Eric Greitens — resigned to avoid impeachment and settle a felony charge in St. Louis.&nbsp;

He won a full term in 2020. But because Greitens had more than two years left on his term when he resigned, Parson is prohibited from running again because of term limits.&nbsp;

Immediately after his 2020 victory, Uniting Missouri spent much of its money on campaign advisers and advertising —&nbsp; $69,000 on consultants in 2022, along with $150,000 on ads.

But spending patterns changed the last two years and have&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/pac-backing-term-limited-missouri-governor-keeps-raising-spending-campaign-cash/">focused mostly on Parson’s travel</a>.

Uniting Missouri paid $56,000 in February 2023 to the Kansas City Chiefs for a “fundraising event,” covering costs associated with the governor’s trip to Arizona for the Super Bowl. It also paid more than $110,000 during the first three months of 2023 to an aviation company connected to Tilley.

The PAC spent $64,000 earlier this year on credit card payments. The charges appear to be for another “fundraising event” at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, and included a $56,000 payment to the Kansas City Chiefs; $8,400 to Ticketmaster; and $650 to the NFL Experience.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722424458194.png" alt=" Missouri Gov. Mike Parson prior to the State of the State address on Jan. 24, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Missouri Gov. Mike Parson prior to the State of the State address on Jan. 24, 2024 (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A political action committee that for two years has mostly existed to bankroll Missouri Gov. Mike Parson’s trips to the Super Bowl has begun spending money to bolster his preferred candidates in next week’s GOP primaries.Uniting Missouri, which was created to support Parson’s bid for a full term in 2020, donated $100,000 this week to the PAC backing Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe’s bid for governor and spent&nbsp;roughly $100,000 on TV ads in the Kansas City market attacking Will Scharf, who is seeking to oust Attorney General Andrew Bailey.The PAC spent nearly $600,000 on “digital advertising” and&nbsp;$36,000 on radio ads in central and southwest Missouri, although public reports do not indicate who is being targeted in those advertisements.Parson, who is barred from seeking another term as governor, appointed Kehoe and Bailey to their current jobs and endorsed them both for the Aug. 6 primary.&nbsp;The spending spree for Parson appointees was made possible by a pair of large donations last week.&nbsp;David Steward, co-founder of World Wide Technology and a former member of the Washington University Board of Trustees, donated $100,000 to Uniting Missouri on July 25.&nbsp;The St. Louis law firm of trial attorney Eric Holland donated $300,000 on July 26. The firm gave Uniting Missouri $250,000 earlier this year.&nbsp;Uniting Missouri also reported receiving $5,000 from MACO Development Co., a low-income housing developer; $10,000 from a group called 36 Political Fund, which is connected to the sheet metal workers union; and $25,000 from five different PACs that are all controlled by the lobbying firm of Steve Tilley, a longtime adviser to the governor.&nbsp;Last month, Uniting Missouri accepted a $50,000 donation from the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association and $15,000 from Torch Electronics, a Wildwood-based company accused of operating illegal gambling machines across the state.&nbsp;Uniting Missouri’s intervention in the GOP primary is only the latest example of the governor seeking to put his thumb on the scale for his favored candidates.&nbsp;Parson last year used&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/17/stinks-quite-a-bit-mike-parson-accused-of-illegally-using-office-to-meddle-in-primaries/">official letterhead from the governor’s office</a>&nbsp;to unsuccessfully pressure a national Republican organization to support Bailey’s candidacy. And his department of labor&nbsp;spent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/missouri-psa-andrew-bailey/63-104fcd6b-02b0-4ddc-910e-4a1ce338935c" target="_blank">$100,000 for a television advertisement that featured Bailey</a>.In both instances, Parson faced accusations that&nbsp;he violated&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=115.646&amp;bid=49862&amp;hl=" target="_blank">a state law prohibiting the misuse of public resources for campaign purposes</a>.&nbsp;Parson endured similar criticism from Kehoe’s main Republican rivals —&nbsp;Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel — when earlier this year he included the lieutenant governor in a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/foreign-land-missouri-agriculture-military-china-fcea4a00170ce64274d012a50934b0ab" target="_blank">press conference and executive order pertaining to foreign ownership of Missouri land</a>.&nbsp;<h2>Super Bowl trips</h2>Parson took over as governor in June 2018 when his predecessor — Eric Greitens — resigned to avoid impeachment and settle a felony charge in St. Louis.&nbsp;He won a full term in 2020. But because Greitens had more than two years left on his term when he resigned, Parson is prohibited from running again because of term limits.&nbsp;Immediately after his 2020 victory, Uniting Missouri spent much of its money on campaign advisers and advertising —&nbsp; $69,000 on consultants in 2022, along with $150,000 on ads.But spending patterns changed the last two years and have&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/pac-backing-term-limited-missouri-governor-keeps-raising-spending-campaign-cash/">focused mostly on Parson’s travel</a>.Uniting Missouri paid $56,000 in February 2023 to the Kansas City Chiefs for a “fundraising event,” covering costs associated with the governor’s trip to Arizona for the Super Bowl. It also paid more than $110,000 during the first three months of 2023 to an aviation company connected to Tilley.The PAC spent $64,000 earlier this year on credit card payments. The charges appear to be for another “fundraising event” at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, and included a $56,000 payment to the Kansas City Chiefs; $8,400 to Ticketmaster; and $650 to the NFL Experience.

Pro-Parson PAC seeks to boost Missouri governor’s favored candidates in GOP primaries

Its another hot week as temperatures are rising throughout the Midland Empire.

Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Brett Williams, says an excessive heat warning is in effect for the St. Joseph area through Wednesday night.&nbsp;

Williams explains heat indices for Wednesday could reach as high as 118 degrees. By Thursday, the heat index will be around 105.

Area residents are reminded to take precautions in extreme heat.

Executive Director of the American Red Cross for Greater Kansas City/Northwest Missouri, JoAnn Woody, says a simple way to cool down is to stay hydrated.&nbsp; "Drink plenty of fluids. Those fluids are things with lower sugar and caffeine."&nbsp;

Woody recommends water and sports drinks, like Gatorade or Powerade, as the best options to stay hydrated.

Other safety tips Woody recommends are taking frequent breaks and paying attention to how you feel. Some signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are increased thirst, weakness and extreme tiredness, fainting, and muscle cramps. Woody says to pay attention how other people around you are feeling and watch for signs of heat-related illnesses.

Elderly people and young children are particularly susceptible to heat illnesses.

Cooling centers are available throughout the area. Woody says, "The Department of Health and Senior Services has put together an interactive map of cooling centers. That's a great resource to check."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718274897487.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By RYAN SKAITHSt. Joseph PostIts another hot week as temperatures are rising throughout the Midland Empire.Meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill, Brett Williams, says an excessive heat warning is in effect for the St. Joseph area through Wednesday night.&nbsp;Williams explains heat indices for Wednesday could reach as high as 118 degrees. By Thursday, the heat index will be around 105.Area residents are reminded to take precautions in extreme heat.Executive Director of the American Red Cross for Greater Kansas City/Northwest Missouri, JoAnn Woody, says a simple way to cool down is to stay hydrated.&nbsp; "Drink plenty of fluids. Those fluids are things with lower sugar and caffeine."&nbsp;Woody recommends water and sports drinks, like Gatorade or Powerade, as the best options to stay hydrated.Other safety tips Woody recommends are taking frequent breaks and paying attention to how you feel. Some signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are increased thirst, weakness and extreme tiredness, fainting, and muscle cramps. Woody says to pay attention how other people around you are feeling and watch for signs of heat-related illnesses.Elderly people and young children are particularly susceptible to heat illnesses.Cooling centers are available throughout the area. Woody says, "The Department of Health and Senior Services has put together an interactive map of cooling centers. That's a great resource to check."

It's Another Hot Week in the Midland Empire

ATCHISON COUNTY —Three people were injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Tuesday in Atchison.

A 2009 Toyota Sienna driven by Shawnna Dreher, 41, Atchison, was northbound in the 100 Block of South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.

The car rear-ended a 2014 Ford Escape driven by Debra Gerber, 67, Atchison. The impact pushed the Ford into the rear of a 2009 GMC Sierra&nbsp; driven by Charles Sprouse III, 39, Atchison. 

EMS transported Dreher, Gerber and her 43 year old passenger to Amberwell Hospital for treatment of injuries. The driver of the truck was not injured. Dreher was cited for following too closely.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722373462549.png" alt="Photo Atchison Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Atchison Police</figcaption>
 </figure>ATCHISON COUNTY —Three people were injured in an accident just before 11a.m. Tuesday in Atchison.A 2009 Toyota Sienna driven by Shawnna Dreher, 41, Atchison, was northbound in the 100 Block of South 10th Street in Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson.The car rear-ended a 2014 Ford Escape driven by Debra Gerber, 67, Atchison. The impact pushed the Ford into the rear of a 2009 GMC Sierra&nbsp; driven by Charles Sprouse III, 39, Atchison. EMS transported Dreher, Gerber and her 43 year old passenger to Amberwell Hospital for treatment of injuries. The driver of the truck was not injured. Dreher was cited for following too closely.

3 hospitalized after 3-vehicle rear-end crash

(Radio Iowa) - Union Pacific crews are cleaning up the site of a train derailment in Carroll County. 

A U-P spokesman says about 36 cars derailed last (Monday) night, some two miles east of Glidden. No injuries are reported and an investigation into the incident is underway. Officials say the derailed cars were not carrying any hazardous materials. 

The focus now for Union Pacific is to get the mainline operational as quickly as possible. It is not clear how long that may take, but U-P typically has blocked lines up and running within a few days.

(Radio Iowa) - Union Pacific crews are cleaning up the site of a train derailment in Carroll County. A U-P spokesman says about 36 cars derailed last (Monday) night, some two miles east of Glidden. No injuries are reported and an investigation into the incident is underway. Officials say the derailed cars were not carrying any hazardous materials. The focus now for Union Pacific is to get the mainline operational as quickly as possible. It is not clear how long that may take, but U-P typically has blocked lines up and running within a few days.

Some three-dozen freight train cars derail near Glidden

(Radio Iowa) - It’s been just over a week since Vice President Kamala Harris announced her intention to run “and win” the Democratic presidential nomination, and while Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley agrees Harris' momentum is strong at the moment, he predicts it won't last. 

Grassley says the boost is temporary "because nobody's focused on her record." Grassley, a Republican, asserts voters need to take a closer look at Harris' views and how she voted during the four years she was in the U-S Senate. He says a survey ranked her among the most liberal members of Congress.

(Radio Iowa) - It’s been just over a week since Vice President Kamala Harris announced her intention to run “and win” the Democratic presidential nomination, and while Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley agrees Harris' momentum is strong at the moment, he predicts it won't last. Grassley says the boost is temporary "because nobody's focused on her record." Grassley, a Republican, asserts voters need to take a closer look at Harris' views and how she voted during the four years she was in the U-S Senate. He says a survey ranked her among the most liberal members of Congress.

Grassley predicts Harris' popularity boost is only temporary

Units in the separate division, put in place after campus protests in 2015, will be moved into other offices to reduce political visibility and protect budget allocations, system president Mun Choi says

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>

The University of Missouri will eliminate its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2016/07/19/new-university-missouri-division-pulls/21802167007/" target="_blank">division focused on diversity, social equity and inclusion</a>&nbsp;on the Columbia campus, completing the dismantling of administrative structures put in place after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/12/semester-strife-capped-longstanding-issues/21777673007/" target="_blank">protests in 2015</a>&nbsp;brought national attention to issues of racial equality.

The move coincides with the departure of division Vice Chancellor Maurice Gipson. It is designed to appease Republicans who are showing hostility towards efforts designed to attract and retain students from historically underrepresented groups, Mun Choi, University of Missouri System president and Columbia campus chancellor, said at a briefing with reporters last week.

There have been 13 bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion filed in the legislature over the past two years Choi noted. During debate on the state budget during 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/30/diversity-debate-dominates-house-action-on-missouri-state-budget/">Republicans in the Missouri House</a>&nbsp;added language banning any diversity efforts across state government, language that was deleted before the final budget passed.

One of the leading Republican candidates for governor, state Sen. Bill Eigel, has said he will fire every state employee who works to promote diversity and equity in state agencies, including universities.

“We realize the political situations that have occurred in other universities across the United States, including Texas, and Florida, Utah, and now Alabama, as well as many others,” Choi said.

Choi said the university has lobbied heavily against legislative action.

“We do believe that our proactive approaches in the past have really played an important role when diverting these bills from passing and I will be sharing our plans with elected leaders beginning this week,” he said.

The top goal is to protect the university’s operating and capital appropriations, Choi said.

“As a university we see about $500 million per year in appropriations and $200 million in capital one-time projects,” Choi said. “If we don’t see the $700 million dollars per year, we would have to eliminate every single position at all of the colleges that we have at universities. That is not a risk that I want to take.”

Gipson, hired as vice chancellor in 2020, is leaving to become interim president at Philander Smith University, an historically Black college in Arkansas. The four units of the division will be moved into other offices, which Choi said will make their mission part of the overall mission in each office.

No employees will lose their jobs, Choi said.

Gipson, who joined Choi in the briefing, said he’s confident that the work begun in the division will continue.

“We’ve been inspired and impressed that our colleagues here say, ‘this is going to work, we don’t have to all be underneath, necessarily the same place to get this work done,’” Gipson said.

The division’s units were moved out of the offices where they will return as part of a university commitment following the events of the fall of 2015, when long-simmering grievances about racial issues on campus led to a protest movement called Concerned Student 1950.&nbsp;

The student group chose a name that reflected the year the first Black student was admitted to the school, which was founded in 1839. It sought to bring attention to overlooked school history that the campus was founded on the wealth of slaveholders and partially built with the labor of enslaved people.

A large group of students created a tent city, a graduate student&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/quest-for-justice-drives-mu-hunger-striker-to-grab-things-by-the-root/article_8fbbb75e-873a-11e5-a683-4f42206b7731.html" target="_blank">started a hunger strike</a>&nbsp;and the protests grabbed international attention when the Missouri Tiger football team joined the protest, stating they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/sports/mizzou_football/missouri-football-players-flexed-muscle-with-proposed-boycott/article_6fe200c4-873e-11e5-bb7d-33e0fbceffb5.html" target="_blank">would not participate in sports</a>&nbsp;until administrators showed they were meeting the demands that included the resignation of then-system President Tim Wolfe.

Other demands&nbsp;<a href="https://krcgtv.com/news/local/concerned-student-1950-reissues-list-of-demands" target="_blank">included more Black faculty</a>, a plan to increase the retention rates for marginalized students and increased funding and personnel for the student support centers.

Wolfe resigned in November 2015 and the protest ended. In the year between his removal and the announcement that Choi would become the new permanent president, the university established both a campus division and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2016/06/14/university-missouri-system-diversity-officer/21833843007/" target="_blank">system vice-presidency focused</a>&nbsp;on DEI efforts.

Choi, who was born in Korea, is the first non-white president of the university. He became campus chancellor in 2020, becoming the first president since the university system was established in the 1960s to hold both jobs.

“This reporting structure in the chancellor’s office is important to cementing the level of support for this work,” Kevin McDonald, then-chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the UM System and vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity on the MU campus&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2016/07/19/new-university-missouri-division-pulls/21802167007/" target="_blank">told the Columbia Daily Tribune in 2016.</a>&nbsp;“I would hope it elevates the level of visibility of the work they have been doing.”

Despite those efforts, Black enrollment on the Columbia campus has fallen from 7.3% of the student body in fall 2015 to 5.3% last fall. The share of Hispanic students has increased to 5.5% from 3.5% in fall 2015 and the share of Asian students has increased from 3% from 2.2%.

The share of white students has remained virtually unchanged at about 77%.

The university anticipates an 11% increase in Black students and a 14% increase in Hispanic students on campus this fall, Choi said.

One specific demand was to increase Black representation among faculty to 10%. Black academics made up 3.5% of tenured and tenure-track faculty on the Columbia campus in the fall of 2023, down from 4.2% in 2018, the target year for the 10% goal.

While the share of Black students and faculty has declined, graduation rates for underrepresented ethnic groups on campus have increased, Choi said. The Columbia campus has the highest six-year graduation rate for Black students among public universities in Missouri, he said, and is near the median of flagship universities in nearby states for Black faculty.

The university began removing the structures put in place following the protests last year after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/29/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-use-of-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/">U.S. Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;that ruled race-based admission policies were unconstitutional.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey ordered universities to “immediately cease their practice of using race-based standards to make decisions about things like admission, scholarships, programs and employment.”

The university responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/30/university-of-missouri-students-reflect-on-end-of-race-based-scholarships/">ending preferences in a number of scholarships</a>&nbsp;and persuading donors to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/13/racial-criteria-removed-by-university-of-missouri-system-from-millions-of-dollars-in-student-aid/">remove any racial or ethnic criteria</a>&nbsp;from endowed programs. It also stopped requiring applicants for system administration jobs to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/education/campus/2023/03/29/diversity-statements-no-longer-allowed-in-hiring-for-um-system-jobs/70057922007/" target="_blank">include diversity statements</a>&nbsp;in their job submissions.

Choi said the university has used those actions as part of its lobbying strategy.

“We do believe that our proactive approaches in the past have really played an important role when diverting these bills from passing,” Choi said, “and I will be sharing our plans with elected leaders.”

There were issues identified with a separate structure that the reorganization will address, Choi said.

“Because the ID division that works on student success programs were operating in an organization that was outside of the rest of the student success organization that’s in the Provost Office, there’s less opportunity to be inclusive, and less opportunities to be collaborative in that process,” he said.

The goal of the reorganization, Choi said, is to preserve the jobs and programs but to make them less visible.

“When you read the headlines that are out there, nationally, DEI is seen as an ideology, and it may be viewed by some as being exclusionary in the name of inclusion,” Choi said. “That is not what we do at the University of Missouri.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722363995990.png" alt="University of Missouri System President Mun Choi discusses plans to reorganize diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by ending a separate campus division during a Friday briefing with reporters. He was joined by Vice Chancellor Maurice Gipson, who headed the division and is leaving for a new post in Arkansas. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)" />
 <figcaption>University of Missouri System President Mun Choi discusses plans to reorganize diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by ending a separate campus division during a Friday briefing with reporters. He was joined by Vice Chancellor Maurice Gipson, who headed the division and is leaving for a new post in Arkansas. (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Units in the separate division, put in place after campus protests in 2015, will be moved into other offices to reduce political visibility and protect budget allocations, system president Mun Choi says</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>The University of Missouri will eliminate its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2016/07/19/new-university-missouri-division-pulls/21802167007/" target="_blank">division focused on diversity, social equity and inclusion</a>&nbsp;on the Columbia campus, completing the dismantling of administrative structures put in place after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/politics/2015/11/12/semester-strife-capped-longstanding-issues/21777673007/" target="_blank">protests in 2015</a>&nbsp;brought national attention to issues of racial equality.The move coincides with the departure of division Vice Chancellor Maurice Gipson. It is designed to appease Republicans who are showing hostility towards efforts designed to attract and retain students from historically underrepresented groups, Mun Choi, University of Missouri System president and Columbia campus chancellor, said at a briefing with reporters last week.There have been 13 bills targeting diversity, equity and inclusion filed in the legislature over the past two years Choi noted. During debate on the state budget during 2023,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/03/30/diversity-debate-dominates-house-action-on-missouri-state-budget/">Republicans in the Missouri House</a>&nbsp;added language banning any diversity efforts across state government, language that was deleted before the final budget passed.One of the leading Republican candidates for governor, state Sen. Bill Eigel, has said he will fire every state employee who works to promote diversity and equity in state agencies, including universities.“We realize the political situations that have occurred in other universities across the United States, including Texas, and Florida, Utah, and now Alabama, as well as many others,” Choi said.Choi said the university has lobbied heavily against legislative action.“We do believe that our proactive approaches in the past have really played an important role when diverting these bills from passing and I will be sharing our plans with elected leaders beginning this week,” he said.The top goal is to protect the university’s operating and capital appropriations, Choi said.“As a university we see about $500 million per year in appropriations and $200 million in capital one-time projects,” Choi said. “If we don’t see the $700 million dollars per year, we would have to eliminate every single position at all of the colleges that we have at universities. That is not a risk that I want to take.”Gipson, hired as vice chancellor in 2020, is leaving to become interim president at Philander Smith University, an historically Black college in Arkansas. The four units of the division will be moved into other offices, which Choi said will make their mission part of the overall mission in each office.No employees will lose their jobs, Choi said.Gipson, who joined Choi in the briefing, said he’s confident that the work begun in the division will continue.“We’ve been inspired and impressed that our colleagues here say, ‘this is going to work, we don’t have to all be underneath, necessarily the same place to get this work done,’” Gipson said.The division’s units were moved out of the offices where they will return as part of a university commitment following the events of the fall of 2015, when long-simmering grievances about racial issues on campus led to a protest movement called Concerned Student 1950.&nbsp;The student group chose a name that reflected the year the first Black student was admitted to the school, which was founded in 1839. It sought to bring attention to overlooked school history that the campus was founded on the wealth of slaveholders and partially built with the labor of enslaved people.A large group of students created a tent city, a graduate student&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/quest-for-justice-drives-mu-hunger-striker-to-grab-things-by-the-root/article_8fbbb75e-873a-11e5-a683-4f42206b7731.html" target="_blank">started a hunger strike</a>&nbsp;and the protests grabbed international attention when the Missouri Tiger football team joined the protest, stating they&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/sports/mizzou_football/missouri-football-players-flexed-muscle-with-proposed-boycott/article_6fe200c4-873e-11e5-bb7d-33e0fbceffb5.html" target="_blank">would not participate in sports</a>&nbsp;until administrators showed they were meeting the demands that included the resignation of then-system President Tim Wolfe.Other demands&nbsp;<a href="https://krcgtv.com/news/local/concerned-student-1950-reissues-list-of-demands" target="_blank">included more Black faculty</a>, a plan to increase the retention rates for marginalized students and increased funding and personnel for the student support centers.Wolfe resigned in November 2015 and the protest ended. In the year between his removal and the announcement that Choi would become the new permanent president, the university established both a campus division and a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2016/06/14/university-missouri-system-diversity-officer/21833843007/" target="_blank">system vice-presidency focused</a>&nbsp;on DEI efforts.Choi, who was born in Korea, is the first non-white president of the university. He became campus chancellor in 2020, becoming the first president since the university system was established in the 1960s to hold both jobs.“This reporting structure in the chancellor’s office is important to cementing the level of support for this work,” Kevin McDonald, then-chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for the UM System and vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity on the MU campus&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/2016/07/19/new-university-missouri-division-pulls/21802167007/" target="_blank">told the Columbia Daily Tribune in 2016.</a>&nbsp;“I would hope it elevates the level of visibility of the work they have been doing.”Despite those efforts, Black enrollment on the Columbia campus has fallen from 7.3% of the student body in fall 2015 to 5.3% last fall. The share of Hispanic students has increased to 5.5% from 3.5% in fall 2015 and the share of Asian students has increased from 3% from 2.2%.The share of white students has remained virtually unchanged at about 77%.The university anticipates an 11% increase in Black students and a 14% increase in Hispanic students on campus this fall, Choi said.One specific demand was to increase Black representation among faculty to 10%. Black academics made up 3.5% of tenured and tenure-track faculty on the Columbia campus in the fall of 2023, down from 4.2% in 2018, the target year for the 10% goal.While the share of Black students and faculty has declined, graduation rates for underrepresented ethnic groups on campus have increased, Choi said. The Columbia campus has the highest six-year graduation rate for Black students among public universities in Missouri, he said, and is near the median of flagship universities in nearby states for Black faculty.The university began removing the structures put in place following the protests last year after a&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/29/us-supreme-court-strikes-down-use-of-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/">U.S. Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;that ruled race-based admission policies were unconstitutional.Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey ordered universities to “immediately cease their practice of using race-based standards to make decisions about things like admission, scholarships, programs and employment.”The university responded by&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/30/university-of-missouri-students-reflect-on-end-of-race-based-scholarships/">ending preferences in a number of scholarships</a>&nbsp;and persuading donors to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/13/racial-criteria-removed-by-university-of-missouri-system-from-millions-of-dollars-in-student-aid/">remove any racial or ethnic criteria</a>&nbsp;from endowed programs. It also stopped requiring applicants for system administration jobs to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiatribune.com/story/news/education/campus/2023/03/29/diversity-statements-no-longer-allowed-in-hiring-for-um-system-jobs/70057922007/" target="_blank">include diversity statements</a>&nbsp;in their job submissions.Choi said the university has used those actions as part of its lobbying strategy.“We do believe that our proactive approaches in the past have really played an important role when diverting these bills from passing,” Choi said, “and I will be sharing our plans with elected leaders.”There were issues identified with a separate structure that the reorganization will address, Choi said.“Because the ID division that works on student success programs were operating in an organization that was outside of the rest of the student success organization that’s in the Provost Office, there’s less opportunity to be inclusive, and less opportunities to be collaborative in that process,” he said.The goal of the reorganization, Choi said, is to preserve the jobs and programs but to make them less visible.“When you read the headlines that are out there, nationally, DEI is seen as an ideology, and it may be viewed by some as being exclusionary in the name of inclusion,” Choi said. “That is not what we do at the University of Missouri.”

University of Missouri bows to Republican pressure, eliminates campus DEI division

Eastern Kansas Congressman Jake LaTurner says
several factors weighed in his decision not to run for re-election.

Though LaTurner, a Republican, says one factor
weighed more in the decision than others.

“I have four young kids at home. They are 13, 12,
nine, and seven. This is a job that I asked for, a job that I have loved in
many respects, but it takes me away from home, a lot.” Turner tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “And so, I just think, I have been doing this for a long time in
the state legislature, as a statewide elected official, now in Congress and it’s
kind of gotten to an inflection point for me.”

“I have enjoyed most aspects of this job, but not
all of them. The inability for Washington to get things done has been an enormous
frustration for me,” LaTurner says. “I’ve been frustrated by the party that’s
in the White House and controls the Senate, of course, because I think their
policies are so wrong headed. And I’ve been disappointed in my own party and our
inability to stick together.”

LaTurner served in the Kansas state legislature
before winning election as the Kansas state Treasurer. He won to the Second
Congressional District in Congress in 2020. He won re-election two years ago.

The Second Congressional District covers all of
eastern Kansas outside the Kansas City metropolitan area.

LaTurner says House Republican in-fighting has
ruined efforts to pass legislation in Congress.

“Our inability to stick together and row in the
same direction to pass good conservative policies for the American people has
been incredibly frustrating,” according to LaTurner.

LaTurner isn’t sure about his next steps.

“I don’t know. I still have some time to figure
that out,” LaTurner says. “I know for sure it involves me being home with
family a lot more than I am right now.” 

LaTurner does say he hopes to have the
opportunity to serve later down the road.

LaTurner will not endorse anyone as his
successor.

Five Republicans and two Democrats have entered the race. Kansas holds its primary August 6th.

You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1722355269911.jpeg" alt="Congressman Jake LaTurner and family campaigning/file photo" />
 <figcaption>Congressman Jake LaTurner and family campaigning/file photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostEastern Kansas Congressman Jake LaTurner says
several factors weighed in his decision not to run for re-election.Though LaTurner, a Republican, says one factor
weighed more in the decision than others.“I have four young kids at home. They are 13, 12,
nine, and seven. This is a job that I asked for, a job that I have loved in
many respects, but it takes me away from home, a lot.” Turner tells KFEQ/St.
Joseph Post. “And so, I just think, I have been doing this for a long time in
the state legislature, as a statewide elected official, now in Congress and it’s
kind of gotten to an inflection point for me.”That wasn’t the only reason, though.“I have enjoyed most aspects of this job, but not
all of them. The inability for Washington to get things done has been an enormous
frustration for me,” LaTurner says. “I’ve been frustrated by the party that’s
in the White House and controls the Senate, of course, because I think their
policies are so wrong headed. And I’ve been disappointed in my own party and our
inability to stick together.”LaTurner served in the Kansas state legislature
before winning election as the Kansas state Treasurer. He won to the Second
Congressional District in Congress in 2020. He won re-election two years ago.The Second Congressional District covers all of
eastern Kansas outside the Kansas City metropolitan area.LaTurner says House Republican in-fighting has
ruined efforts to pass legislation in Congress.“Our inability to stick together and row in the
same direction to pass good conservative policies for the American people has
been incredibly frustrating,” according to LaTurner.LaTurner isn’t sure about his next steps.“I don’t know. I still have some time to figure
that out,” LaTurner says. “I know for sure it involves me being home with
family a lot more than I am right now.” LaTurner does say he hopes to have the
opportunity to serve later down the road.LaTurner will not endorse anyone as his
successor.Five Republicans and two Democrats have entered the race. Kansas holds its primary August 6th.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Family & frustration - a Kansas Congressman decides against re-election run

MCPHERSON COUNTY — A 14-month old was rescued Sunday afternoon, according to a social media post from Moundridge Police Department.

Just before 2 p.m., Moundridge Police, Fire and EMS were called to a report of a juvenile needing assistance. The child was trapped underground inside a PVC pipe. The pipe was about 12 inches in diameter and 10-12 feet deep. The child was apparently uninjured and upright in the bottom of the pipe.

Emergency crews worked for 15-20 minutes to recover the child. Officer Wagner constructed a makeshift 'catch pole'. This creative solution was instrumental in lifting the child out.

The child was physically OK, though obviously emotionally shaken from the experience.

MCPHERSON COUNTY — A 14-month old was rescued Sunday afternoon, according to a social media post from Moundridge Police Department.Just before 2 p.m., Moundridge Police, Fire and EMS were called to a report of a juvenile needing assistance. The child was trapped underground inside a PVC pipe. The pipe was about 12 inches in diameter and 10-12 feet deep. The child was apparently uninjured and upright in the bottom of the pipe.Emergency crews worked for 15-20 minutes to recover the child. Officer Wagner constructed a makeshift 'catch pole'. This creative solution was instrumental in lifting the child out.The child was physically OK, though obviously emotionally shaken from the experience.

Toddler rescued after trapped in underground pipe

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's Crime Victim Assistance Program -- facing a 42 percent cut in federal funding -- is getting a cash infusion of five-and-a-half MILLION dollars. 

The money comes from unspend federal pandemic relief funds forwarded to Iowa in 2021. Governor Reynolds and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird say it's one-time funding to ensure crime victims continue to get state support to cover the costs of temporary housing, lost wages and any medical expenses associated with the crime. 

Attorney General Bird says the looming federal cut to victim funding meant closing the crime victims hotline and reducing the number of coordinators who are assigned to help victims who are called to testify in court against a perpetrator. Over the past 12 months, more than 54-thousand Iowa crime victims got grants from the state's Crime Victim Assistance Program.

(Radio Iowa) - Iowa's Crime Victim Assistance Program -- facing a 42 percent cut in federal funding -- is getting a cash infusion of five-and-a-half MILLION dollars. The money comes from unspend federal pandemic relief funds forwarded to Iowa in 2021. Governor Reynolds and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird say it's one-time funding to ensure crime victims continue to get state support to cover the costs of temporary housing, lost wages and any medical expenses associated with the crime. Attorney General Bird says the looming federal cut to victim funding meant closing the crime victims hotline and reducing the number of coordinators who are assigned to help victims who are called to testify in court against a perpetrator. Over the past 12 months, more than 54-thousand Iowa crime victims got grants from the state's Crime Victim Assistance Program.

State officials use pandemic relief funds for Iowa's crime victim assistance program

A 21-year-old St. Joseph man has drowned in the Missouri
River.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports Johnathan Harness
never resurfaced while swimming in the Missouri River Sunday afternoon.

Multiple agencies responded and a search of the French Bottom
Access area in St. Joseph early Sunday evening began. Searchers discovered Harness’ body Monday afternoon after four o'clock near where he had been swimming.

The patrol reports the St. Joseph Police Department, the St.
Joseph Fire Department, and the Elwood Fire and Rescue team responded.

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA 21-year-old St. Joseph man has drowned in the Missouri
River.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reports Johnathan Harness
never resurfaced while swimming in the Missouri River Sunday afternoon.Multiple agencies responded and a search of the French Bottom
Access area in St. Joseph early Sunday evening began. Searchers discovered Harness’ body Monday afternoon after four o'clock near where he had been swimming.The patrol reports the St. Joseph Police Department, the St.
Joseph Fire Department, and the Elwood Fire and Rescue team responded.You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.

Young St. Joseph man drowns in Missouri River

A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that Missouri’s ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++2&amp;bid=48868&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">lawmakers and legislative staff working as lobbyists</a>&nbsp;for two years after leaving office is unconstitutional.

First enacted in 2018 as part of a voter-approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/ballot-measure-would-change-missouri-redistricting/63-611170019" target="_blank">initiative called “Clean Missouri,”</a>&nbsp;the revolving-door law was designed to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption. But the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found the restriction violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“Missouri had to show that it has a compelling anti-corruption interest and that its lobbying ban is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. It did neither,” said Judge David Stras, writing for a three-judge panel.

The lawsuit was filed by former state Rep. Rocky Miller and legislative assistant John LaVanchy, arguing that the two-year ban not only violates the First Amendment but improperly limits their employment opportunities. It was filed against the Missouri Ethics Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the ban.

Miller, a Republican from Lake Ozark, won four terms in the Missouri House and was re-elected to his final term in 2018 at the same election where voters passed the lobbying ban. About 10 months after he left office in January 2021, he received an offer to work as a paid lobbyist for Presidio, a waste management company with headquarters in his hometown.

Miller registered as a lobbyist after the ban expired. He currently has six active clients, including Presidio.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1717680016546.jpeg" alt="The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City- House of Rep. photo" />
 <figcaption>The Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City- House of Rep. photo</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jason-hancock/">JASON HANCOCK</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/02/20/state-senator-throws-first-punches-of-2024-missouri-governors-campaign/">Missouri Independent</a>A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that Missouri’s ban on&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=III++++2&amp;bid=48868&amp;constit=y" target="_blank">lawmakers and legislative staff working as lobbyists</a>&nbsp;for two years after leaving office is unconstitutional.First enacted in 2018 as part of a voter-approved&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/ballot-measure-would-change-missouri-redistricting/63-611170019" target="_blank">initiative called “Clean Missouri,”</a>&nbsp;the revolving-door law was designed to prevent corruption and the appearance of corruption. But the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals found the restriction violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.“Missouri had to show that it has a compelling anti-corruption interest and that its lobbying ban is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest. It did neither,” said Judge David Stras, writing for a three-judge panel.The lawsuit was filed by former state Rep. Rocky Miller and legislative assistant John LaVanchy, arguing that the two-year ban not only violates the First Amendment but improperly limits their employment opportunities. It was filed against the Missouri Ethics Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the ban.Miller, a Republican from Lake Ozark, won four terms in the Missouri House and was re-elected to his final term in 2018 at the same election where voters passed the lobbying ban. About 10 months after he left office in January 2021, he received an offer to work as a paid lobbyist for Presidio, a waste management company with headquarters in his hometown.Miller registered as a lobbyist after the ban expired. He currently has six active clients, including Presidio.Monday’s decision overturns a ruling last year by U.S. District Court Judge Douglas Harpool, who upheld the ban as a way to prevent corruption, noting public officials are fully aware that&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/04/03/judge-rejects-ex-missouri-lawmakers-push-to-overturn-revolving-door-ban-on-lobbying/">accepting a taxpayer-supported job also includes accepting restrictions on speech</a>.

Kbct